Tangled up
by dumplingdoo
Summary: Prequel to 'Counting Teardrops' After failing her jonin exams, Tenten's on journey to Suna to train. She had no idea that the journey there would be life altering. When there though, can the girl that plays with knives get tangled up in her trainers web..
1. Sixteen

Sixteen

Tenten's back hit a tree, she slid down and crossed her legs. They were covered with smudges of black and blue. Her knuckles were grazed, and her arms scratched.

"Damn it Neji!" she exclaimed, "I'm gonna look real good with bruises down my legs tonight aren't I?"

"I say I'd go easy on you." Neji countered, "But you chose to deny you're _'Birthday bonus'_" He soaked a cotton rag in solution and pressed them onto Tenten's cuts. She winced slightly.  
"Thanks." she smiled, the corners of Neji's mouth turned up for the slightest of seconds before looking back down at Tenten's arm.

"...You're showing off you're legs tonight then?" Neji's face looked almost worried. He packed the cotton rag away into his pouch,

"Yes I am." Tenten replied, "Ino and Sakura are going to practically force me into a dress tonight." Neji chuckled. "Shut up Neji. As I am now a mature _sixteen year old_. I shall tolerate that chuckle and resist punching you." she smiled, Neji smirked.

He stood infront of her, "Come on Tenten." he held his hand out for her.  
"Thanks" she said, reaching up for his hand. She heaved herself up and they began making their way out of the forest.

Tenten took in a deep breath, fresh air filled her lungs. She looked up at Neji, the sun beaming through the leaves played with the shadows on his face.  
This forest was practically their second home. They'd seen many sunrises and sunsets whilst laying on the forest floor, leaves scattered beneath them.  
It wasn't a patch of green they used for training. It was the first thing at dawn, and last thing before bed. It was _their_ forest.

They reached the opening of the forest, just before the trees and silence are replaced by concrete and noise.

"Tenten." Neji said almost sharply, she felt his arm tense up as he was looking down at his left hand.

"Yeah?" Tenten following his eyes down to his left hand, "Oh. Sorry." she murmered, slipping her right hand away from it. Just as her hand was reaching the side of her hip Neji clutched it. "...Neji?"

"Tenten, I've got for..." Neji's voice uncharacteristically trailed away softly. He looked away from his hand holding hers, his right hand slipped into his pouch.

"Y-You didn't have to get me anything!" Tenten babbled quickly. Neji stayed silent as his hand fumbled around the bandages and training pill. Tenten blushed and slightly screwed up her eyes.

"...Here, I think you should.." Neji's hand let go of hers slightly, then held hers out so her hand was faced up.

"Neji, no, it's fine. Really you shouldn't have." Tenten started, she was silenced by Neji's soft 'shh'.

"Really Tenten, it's nothing."

* * *

**A/N**

**Hello!**

**firstly, thank you so much for reading. I hope you liked it, please review as I'd love to get some good critique and know what kind of vibe this is giving off at the moment.**

**If you have read my other story 'Counting Teardrops' then I hope you've read that I'll be doing a prequel to it..TA-DA this is it! I'm hoping for this to be a lot less angsty. Also, I'm hoping to do shorter chapters that will update a lot more quickly. I think the last four chapters in Counting Teardrops are too long to digest anyway.**

**Of course you don't have to read 'Counting Teardrops', just enjoy! and thank you!**

**~Dumplingdoo xXx**


	2. A Night to Remember

...Most of them didn't 

"Are you ready _yet_?" Chouji impatiently called again. For the _sixth_ time.

"**Yes we are**!" Ino shouted, she walked into the living room with her hands on her hips. Sasuke, Chouji and Neji abruptly stood up from the sofa. She glowed, her golden hair was down and tumbled past her waist. Her dress matched her sparkling blue eyes perfectly.

"Worth the wait?" she asked Chouji in a much softer tone.

"Definitely" he whispered into her ear, wrapping an arm around her waist. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sasuke and Neji stood to one side away from the display of affection. Both avoided eye-contact and found themselves missing their goofy counterparts; Naruto had said he'd be meeting up with them there with Hinata, and Lee was getting in some training with Gai. Sasuke and Neji stood in silence, although not in complete silence as Ino and Chouji's whispered sweet nothings grew louder:

"Choco...behave."

"You look gorgeous tonight."

"Mmm... After this birthday crawl let's come back and do our own little celebra-"

"**Ahem.**" Sakura appeared in the doorway with on hand on her hip. Chouji and Ino pulled away from each other and smiled back at her innocently.  
She twirled around in her floaty green dress and smiled at Sasuke. He smirked a little which made her squeal. Sasuke held out an arm and Sakura took his hand and walked over to the sofas.

"Birthday girl! Come out already!" Ino shouted.

"You're very welcome by the way." Sakura whispered to Neji. His eyebrow furrowed, '_Why, is there a reason for me to thank her?_'.  
Sakura nudged his in the ribs and beckoned her head over to the doorway.

Tenten's head poked into the room, she walked towards everybody. Her walk was surprisingly stumble-free and perfect, especially given the fact that she'd never worn heeled shoes before.  
Her chestnut hair was sleeked back into a ponytail and swished with each step she took. She wore a small pendent around her neck, it glowed a deep green.  
The little black dress showed off her sleek long legs.

"Well?" she asked nervously.

She caught Neji's eye, he opened his mouth and racked his brains for words, "... You really are -"

"**WOOO!** **You're looking mighty fine!**" Ino cheered,

"**Hot! _So_ gorgeous!**" Sakura joined in, punching a fist in the air, **"Okay guys let's get going!"**

* * *

Hiashi Hyuga looked sternly over the young blond ninja before him. And then to Naruto's hand resting on Hinata's waist.

"First of all young man..." Hiashi said whilst uncrossing his hands, "Move your hands." Naruto looked at Hiashi with a perplexed expression.

"Hiashi, what are talking abou- **Oww! Oww! Fuck!**" Naruto screamed as Hiashi struck Naruto's hand with his palm glowing a bright turquoise.

"Daddy?" Hinata gasped.

"Secondly Uzumaki," Hiashi continued, Naruto bit his lip and nodded, "Do not get up to any funny business. You hear?"

"Of course sir. I would never-"

"I wasn't asking, I was ordering." Naruto nodded.

"Daddy please..." Hinata began. Hiashi raised an eyebrow at her,  
she couldn't be bothered with this, "See you later daddy. Come on Naruto let's go."  
Hinata slipped Naruto's hand around her waist.  
_'Hinata!' _Naruto smirked into her ear.

She turned away from her father's shocked face and walked towards the open front door.

"Make sure she's back before ten Uzumaki!" was about all Hiashi could shout.

"..._We'll see._" Hinata called back.

"That was awesome!" Naruto smiled at her as they walked towards the bar.

"R-Really?" she asked in her normal tone. She blushed slightly.

"You look great tonight." he whispered in her ear, he felt her ear burn against his lip. She was blushing furiously.  
Her body slipped perfectly into the ruby red dress. Her hair was tousled and messy. Naruto loved it.

"HINATA! NARUTO!" called a voice from a far. Everybody had already arrived. Hinata and Naruto rushed to them.

"Hey guys, I just wanted to get this out before Lee gets drunk." Tenten started, "Thank you guys for coming out it really mean a lot to me."

"Aww." Ino said hugging Tenten, "**NOW LET'S GET DRUNK!**"

* * *

Hinata and Tenten circulated the club with her seventh drink in one hand.

Lightweights Shikamaru and Temari had already passed out together, Tenten presumed that Kiba had propped them up against the wall of the toilets.

Tenten decided to check dance floor. To her surprise it was deserted...

No, wait. Lee and Gai were doing pelvic thrusts to the beat of the music. Never mind.

"HEY TENNY!" Ino arm wrapped around Tenten suddenly and she was led to the bar. "Nine absinthes please" Ino shouted across to the barman.

Ino, Chouji, Tenten, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruo, Hinata, Neji, and Kiba were huddled in a circle with a glass of the emerald elixir in their hands and a drunk grin on their faces. They chorused:

"10...9...8..7...6,**5,4,3,2,1!**"

And then the rest of the night passed by in a blur that quite frankly, they were thankful they couldn't remember the next morning.

* * *

**A/N**

**Hello, thank you for reading! Ahh...it feels REALLY good to write something lighthearted and fun...I may have to rethink my original angst filled plot!**

**I hope you enjoyed it, for me it's been the most fun to write.**

**Feel free to comment and again thank you! **

**until next time ~dumplingdoo xxx**


	3. Tenten's nose

Tenten's nose

Tenten woke up, still early in the morning her ears told her whilst she kept her eyes closed.

Crusted mascara and smudged liner weighed her eyes shut. '_Oh, What these eyes have seen but I'll never remember' _She sighed in her head.

It was the scent that threw her still drunk mind out of sleep, it clung to her skin and clothes.

'_Cheap perfume; the girls. Stale piss; the boys.' _she thought._  
'Beer; Sasuke. Vodka; Ino. Whisky; we must have bumped into Kakashi. Cosmopolitan; typical Sakura. Orange juice; adorably Lee and Naruto.  
Sparkling water; Neji's certainly getting wild with his choice of beverages.'_

Tenten chuckled out load by her in-head remarks. She was enjoying her nasal exploration of last night. She took a big sniff.

_'Sweet roasted meat; went to Ichiraku's I guess. Cigarettes-ugh, I couldn't have accepted an offer, must be Shikamaru. Lavender...hmm...smells like when I was at-  
**Sweet, clean lavender**; can't be me** or** yesterday night'_

Tenten lazily lolled her head to the side and sniffed her bed sheets. The fresh smell of lavender and jasmine travelled up her nose.

_'Haven't done the laundry in 3 weeks. There's even a smudge of melted chocolate right about...' _Tenten struck out an arm and feeled around her bed for the crusted stain of chocolate.  
Her fingers were met with the softness of clean sheets.

* * *

"Um, this is my room." Hinata said outside her bedroom door, her feet fumbled around slightly. She was ten and her father had finally allowed her to have Tenten sleep over.  
She slid the door open. White light virtually shone from the innocent little girl's bedroom.

Hinata's room was just like how Tenten imagined. Tenten's eyes filled with awe, her fingertips wandered over the pine furniture and she gasped at the high ceiling.

Like all the other rooms in the Hyuuga Manor, Hinata's room had cream walls and white, paper sliding doors.  
Which, secretly Tenten loved, she felt like an actor on the set of a historical japanese drama. Hinata being the princess of the manor, and Tenten being some sort of servant girl.

Hinata was quite the tasteful ten year old. Every inch of her dressing table was casually littered with small trinkets and hair adornments.  
She threw herself onto Hinata's four poster bed and was overcome with the freshness of the scent.

"Smells like a dream." Tenten smiled to Hinata.  
Hinata sprawled out her arms and legs, "Really?" she asked, she'd never given a thought to the washing powder the maids used.  
"Yep," replied Tenten, she took a big sniff, "Smells like a dream."

* * *

_'Ah, that's right. Smells like Hinata's sheets.'_ she sighed happily to herself. Tenten rolled to her side, ready to get back to sleep. But her mind urged her to stay awake.  
_'Wait now Ten...' _her mind said, whilst her body was desperate to loosen up and relax.  
_  
'**Ah hell no**.' _came her mind in an Ino-like tone.  
Tenten bolted upright. She was met with unbearable head rush. _'These **better **be **Hinata's** bed sheets.'_

* * *

**A/N**

**Hope you guys liked it. It's been a long wait- I'm so sorry, I've moved house and didn't have internet for a month!**

**'Til next chapter (which won't be so long, I promise!)**

**~dumplingdoo x**


	4. Caterpillar Threesome

They woke up looking like a caterpillar threesome

Tenten had only ever woken up next to men on missions.

Neji and Lee didn't exactly classify as men to Tenten. But all the same.

Tenten would get into her sleeping bag first. Lee second, he would sleep to Tenten's right always.  
He slept 2 metres away from her- Neji had once woken up bruised black and blue by Lee throwing punches in his sleep.  
Neji slept about 3 metres to Tenten's left. Apparently her heavy breathing was 'excruciatingly irritating'

Somehow without fail, over the night their sleeping bags squished together.  
They woke up looking like a caterpillar threesome.

She didn't mind though, waking up warm in between her two best friends.

Lee slept with his mouth wide open. His somehow trailed all over their sleeping bags and anything in a two mile radius was not pretty first thing in the morning.  
Tenten would make a face and roll onto her other side.

Neji slept with a peaceful face. Much more relaxed and soft than his usual stoic expression. Tenten would spend mornings just watching his face,  
_'god, I hope I look half as pretty as that when I sleep.'  
_Then would come the only times Neji swore. It was sleeping next to Lee and Neji on missions, when Tenten learnt that Neji **hates** being late.

_'What **fucking time** do you call this?'_

_'Chill. Out. We're only 10 minute late. Look, it's still just 05:43"_

_'Why didn't you fucking think to **fucking wake us up!**"_

_"But you were so pretty! Gosh, seriously if you saw how pretty you are asleep it might soften you up- you're such a hardass!"_

_"You think watching me sleep is gonna **kill** some **rogue nin-bastards** any time soon?"_

_"CALM DOWN. You know you get so mad over waking up late. Why don't you set your **own alarm**. You're already **so far** up you're own ass. No harm in putting an alarm there too!"_

_"**Neji. Tenten. Relax**. The day is still young and youthful. **I know!** how about Lee's sunny-side-up?"  
_

* * *

Tenten shot up. A small panic rose up in her throat._  
_She ran her hands down her torso; she was still wearing her silky black dress from last night. _'Clothes-good! Very good! Lavender sheets mean Hyuuga house. I'm** not **in a creep's bed."  
_  
An image of Hinata's uncle, whom she'd met at the Hyuuga's annual ball sprang in Tenten's mind- _A large, greasy man who used his Byakugan for play and not work._

Tenten's eyes opened just in time as a white fog enveloped her.  
The white vapour gradually settled down. Neji emerged from the cloud of steam. He wore just a white towel around his waist.  
Droplets of water meandered down his chest and arms, his hair was wet and messily slicked back.

"Surprised to be here?" Neji smirked, he wrapped a towel around his neck and tossed over a damp flannel to Tenten. Tenten draped the flannel over her face and her mind flooded with relief. She relaxed and flopped back down onto Neji's bed. _'Good, it's just Neji.'_

"Yes- I was so hoping I was in Hiashi's bed...what a shame." she replied. She lifted the flannel off and smirked back at Neji.

Neji was slipping into his robes, his nose wrinkled. "You should be thanking me" he said; Tenten rolled her eyes. "...You could've been waking up in Lee's saliva right now."

It was Tenten's turn to wrinkle up her nose.  
She stopped suddenly and looked up at Neji with her brown eyes widened innocently.

"Neji...What time is it?"

"Eleven."

**..."What?** Why the fuck didn't you wake me up? I had to pick up my jounin results at six!"

"Jounin results this morning?" Neji said in a tone that implied _'If you woke me up on our missions, I would pick up your ever-important jounin results.'_

"Yes! Yes!" Tenten wailed, she jumped out of the warm bed and dashed towards the door. "Thanks for letting me bunk, see you lat-"

**"OUCH! Fucking shit-prick!"  
**Tenten felt cold wooden floorboards beneath her and blood rush towards her head.

"Lee!" came Neji's voice sternly.

"Neji!" replied Lee's voice in a happy sing-song. A moment passed. "Tenten what are you doing on the floor?"


	5. Getting hot and heavy

In the bathroom

Tenten sat on the edge of the bath wrapped in a towel, her feet perched on the toilet seat. Water dripped off the ends of her hair, the gash on her forehead had still not stopped bleeding even after a shower.  
Lee also sat on the bath edge drawing a childish picture of Team Gai on the steam that clung to mirror.

"This might hurt a little, but hold on." Neji instructing, holding a soaked cotton ball an inch away from her forehead. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Neji, please. I've sparred against the both of you. I think I can handle**-Fuck! Shit Neji what the hell!**" she hissed, feeling her forehead melt away.

"I told you it may hurt." Neji smirked, pressing down the cotton press with even more pressure, (which made her slam her palm against the tiled wall) "Okay, the graze is clean, but the bruising won't go down for a couple of days." he lifted the cotton off.

"Great" Tenten groaned, she tenderly touched the gash on her forehead.

"Still stings?" Neji asked,

"Like a bitch."

"Okay, Lee can you get me a plaster?"

"Sure can!" Lee sprang up from the bath and explored Neji's large vanity, pulling each bottle and tub out and back in.  
"Hmm... Toner. Body scrub. Cuticle cream. Waxing strips. Shampoo. Conditioner. Muscle rub-_Oh!_ I've got this and it is excellent isn't it? Okay, Conditioner. Conditioner. Condi- oh wait, it's lotion. Anyways, Conditioner. Conditioner..."

"Second shelf, front left!" Neji snapped, his tone full of annoyance. Not so much at Lee, but of using the Hyuuga's precious gekkai genkai for such a tedious task.

"Oh! You're right!"...Lee appeared back next to Tenten flourishing a plaster, he peeled away the plastic and held Tenten's chin. "There you are." he sang, sticking the plaster over the wound. "You clumsy little panda bear." he said patronizingly, and ruffled her damp hair.

"Your the 'dumb-little-panda-bear-who-goes-around-flinging-metal doors-open-knocking-people-to-the-ground" Tenten retorted, "Treat your students like that, you'll lose all respect from them."

"Gai says it to you" Lee pouted.

"Exactly." Tenten said wryly, but a fond smile spread across her face. She slipped into the plain grey robe Neji had discreetly taken from the maids' quarters.

"Come on, I'm starving."


	6. Breakfast

Breakfast at the Hyuugas'

"Morning!" Lee chirped, he sat back down at his seat and resumed to wolf away at the piles of croissants and pancakes on his plate.

"Hey" Hinata smiled, she let Naruto feed her a strawberry before pulling away from his gaze. "Good morning" she beamed up at Neji and Tenten, and nodded towards two empty seats opposite her at the dining table. They sat down.

"Good night's sleep then?" Tenten smirked, examining Hinata and Naruto's matching bed heads. Neji rolled his eyes.

"They don't call me Naruto the great for nothing." Naruto boasted with an immodest shrug. Hinata punched him playfully in the stomach, a broad smile on her face.

"It's a good thing Tenten threw up in your bed then." Lee piped in.

"**WHAT? **I did not throw up in Hinata's bed. " Tenten exclaimed, "I woke up in Neji's room."

"You slept in Neji's room _because_ you threw up in Hinata's bed. Hinata slept with me in the guest room." Naruto corrected, "You really don't remember anything do you?" he asked amused.

Tenten opened her mouth to reprimand him, then shut her mouth again.

"Good morning Neji sama"mumbled a girl who'd popped up out of nowhere. She was a Hyuuga, definitely as her eyes were milky grey. And a maid, Tenten judged by her plain black robes and scraped back hair. She looked about Hinata's age- one year younger than Tenten.

"Coffee?" the maid asked in a flat voice.  
Neji nodded silently, not looking away from the pastry he was eating. Tenten narrowed her eyes on him. It wasn't in her place to be bothered, but the way the Hyuuga family worked had just always bothered her.

"Ah! Tenten!" the maid piped up, a beautiful pearly white smile spread across her face. Tenten looked up at her, Neji smirked as an embarrassed little smile crept across Tenten's face. "Would you like juice? Tea? Coffee?" the maid asked.

"Just tea, thanks" Tenten said.

"Right away" the maid said with a flirty wink.

From the corner of her eye Tenten could see Hinata watch the maid with a raised brow. Hinata's gaze moved slowly over the table, then caught Tenten's. Her face softened into a smile. Then rose into alarm.

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed loudly. "..So did Lee **give it** to you?" she asked, Tenten and Lee looked at each other with perplexed faces.  
"It did go well **right?** Well, your both athletic I'm sure it went **amazingly**." Hinata carried on,"No need to worry about any ...**mish****aps**" she smiled broadly at Tenten and Lee.

Tenten and Lee looked at each other with perplexed faces.  
"**WHA**-"Lee gasped, "If it was to be anybody, it should be Neji surely!" pointing at Neji who'd just been innocently sipping the froth from his cappuccino.  
Tenten choked on the pain au chocolat.

"...Well?" Hinata squealed excitedly, flapping her hands in a usual Naruto-mannerism and looking across the table to Tenten with an expectant smile. After receiving another blank stare from Tenten, Hinata shot her lavender eyes at Lee.

A long silent moment passed. "Oh!..Oh yeah!" Lee said, dropping jam and crumbs from his mouth. He retrieved two envelopes from his pocket. One green and the other red.  
He shoved the green one into Tenten's hand.  
"It's our jonin results!" his voice filled with excitement and, for the few times she'd heard, a quiver of nervousness.

"Oh shit yeah! I completely forgot to get our results today! Tsunade's going to kill me!" Tenten gasped, she flipped over the jade envelope over, her and Lee's names were scrawled in the top right corner, the envelope had the blood-red wax seal meaning it'd come from the Hokage.  
"Thank goodness you kept sober yesterday night."she said to Lee.

"I _completely_ forgot about it too." Lee said with guilt in his voice,

"Then why did you go to Tsunade's office this morning?" Neji asked.

"Oh. Um." Lee gushed. His cheeks blushed, and he fanned himself with the red envelope. Neji snatched the envelope off him and held it above his head, out of Lee's reach.

Naruto sat up and took a long gulp of coffee, "Eh, _Gaara_ sent _you_ a letter?" he murmered squinting up at the royal-blue wax seal.

"It's-It's nice to send and receive hand written letters to associates." Lee said defensively,

"So _that's_ what Gaara told you the cover up is huh?" Naruto said.

"...the illicit love affair is not just a rumour." Neji taunted. A small yelp escaped from Lee's mouth..

"Oh. Biatch." Naruto stage-whispered. The teasing twosome looked at each other, then back at their victim.  
Neji handed the letter back to Lee and did a small attractive smirk. Naruto further pushed the bromantic scene by ruffling up Lee's bowl cut and giving him a long approving smile.

"...Oh. Kay." Hinata said, "Um. So, you want to open up that letter Tenten?"

"Oh yeah." Tenten smiled, carefully opening up the envelope.

* * *

_Hey hey Tenten. Hope you had a great birthday! I don't think you'll remember but I saw you at my sake bar, you bought me and Shizune a round, so thanks. You are a frisky little drunk you know!_

_If your reading this letter, then you were probably too hungover to remember to come to my office this morning._

_Anyway, what you really want to know is the result of your jonin exam right?_

_Well, I know it's a hassle, but I simply could not tell your results over letter, so you must come to my office this afternoon at three._

_Tsunade HBIC_

_ peace out xxx_

* * *

"Oh." Tenten said dejectedly, she put the letter on the table for the others to read. One by one they read with excited faces then finished with frowns.

"Well." Neji said breaking the few moments of silence, "That wasted a minute of my life."

"Shut up." said Tenten, sticking her tongue out at him.

**"To Tsunade's we go!**" Lee cheered,

"After we visit home." Tenten reminded him,

"**After we visit home!**" he cheered.

* * *

**A/N**

**Thank you for reading and waiting! I have been so busy with school and exams etc etc.**

**I wrote this chapoter such a long time ago...Honestly, I don't know whether I'm going to continue with this fic anymore, but thought I might as well put it up.**

**I'm sorry... We'll see though eh? It's just... I'm not feeling so passionate about it anymore... the words aren't flowing like they did for the first chapter of Counting Teardrops I think then the standard started going downhill.**

**Thank you for reading yet again and I thank you so much for giving the two fics love. I'm sorry that I may not tie up the loose strings. I still really love these fics so I may continue**

**~dumplingdoo**


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